Crappie time coming soon in Minnesota

Count crappie fishing among spring's many blessings.

Action for these feisty panfish will pick up in coming days, as daytime high air temperatures all week are expected to top 70 degrees — perhaps touching 80 by Saturday.

This summerlike weather will in turn heat up lakes and rivers, prompting crappies to move into shallow water to chase minnows and other food.

Even the most novice anglers using the most basic equipment — Snoopy rods included — can catch these fish if they know a few basics.

Such as:

• Water between 52 and 54 degrees will prompt crappies to fin from deeper water to shallower.

• Seek out quiet bays, canals or other areas with dark bottoms. Water here warms first, congregating crappies.

• Sometimes, early season crappie fishing is easier and more productive from shore than from a boat. Regardless of the platform, use "ultralight" or other downsized rod, reel, line and jigs.

• Crappies aren't spawning in this initial run to shallow water. Their intent instead is to gorge themselves before departing again for water 8 to 10 feet deep. There they'll remain until water temperatures rise to about 65 degrees, when they'll make a second run to water about 6 feet deep, give or take, where they'll spawn.

• If the bite is on, these fish won't be picky about what they eat. Stick with 1/64- or 1/32-ounce jigs, some plain, some feathered. Get a variety of colors. Use light line, 4-pound-test or less, if necessary adding a few feet of this to the end of heavier line. Connect the two line diameters with a swivel.

• Use a small to medium-size bobber heavy enough so the entire rig can be cast a fair distance. Vary the distance of the bobber to the jig from about 9 to about 18 inches — experimenting outside these margins as necessary.

• Minnows make good bait. So do colorful twister tails and other artificials. Note: Bluegills and sunnies will be in these same areas in spring. Waxworms, small leeches and worm pieces can help juice their bite.

DENNIS ANDERSON